Keeping pace with Scott

[NoSlack]

After Scott added another 52 points to his tournament total, I figured I better get the cover off the boat and put her in the water for the first time in 5 weeks.

A five week dry spell is almost unheard of for he. With work, the honey-do list and the passing of my dad in late June, I've been a little busy.

No more excuses why I didn't go fishing, it's time to start making excuses why I need to go fishing.

After pulling the cover off the boat, washing out the cob webs, I remember I haven't fueled up the boat sense diesel was $2.10 a gallon. I've got 40 gallons of fuel, $20 in my wallet and 4 hours of free time on Sunday morning to reclaim my lead in the tourney. I quickly ruled out scoring some points in the albacore slot, so I went with the next easiest 50 point. It was going to be a Mako kind of day.

I loaded up the boat with all the left over squid bits and the last of the 2004 freezer burnt albacore. I started off in La Jolla looking for bait but the red tide is still hanging in the kelp and the place looked lifeless. Next stop was the weather buoy. Better looking water out there but still no bait to be had.

I keep heading west looking for bait. The area 3-6 miles outside the buoy was loaded with small bait on the surface and large balls of bait on the meter down 100'-200'. This area looked to good to pass up so I shut down and started a slick. I made up a squid bits and freezer burnt albacore stew in the bait tank and let the bait pump push the slick out the overflow. With in 30 minutes I see a fin off in the distance so I pulled the screen out of the tank and let the chunks drain overboard. Five minutes later I'm on a nice 5' Mako.

Looks like I better invest in some fuel this week, I heard albacore at the 390 today and one guy had 2, 5 miles below the 425.

Mike

http://www.bocaboard.com/data/noslack/Mako1.jpg

[yellowfin1]

Wow,

Mike your Mako sounded easy to find and catch. Hope some more folks will pick up the pace with the Mako slot...Phil?

Scott

[NoSlack]

The mako slot is by far the easyest 50 points in the tourney. For the next 2 month you can work the area 5-10 miles off La Jolla and fish the pups by sight.

Take some light line and have a ball.

Mike

[Knot Now]

Mike,
The albacore are close and WFO.
We played catch and release Sat. for 2 hours 31.51 117.26. We fished the with everything from poppers to tady 45s to 15 lb line. We could only get about 1/4 of the ones on 15 lb line to the boat and we lost the popper. They would spit the popper and anothe would hit it as soon as it cacme loose....
Boy was that fun. I almost filled the fish hold. :D
I will post picture tonight.
Phil

[DOGHOUSE26]

Mike,

Sorry to hear about your Dad, best wishes to you and your family. I couldn't talk to you much Sunday, just replaced the mike on my radio and now it switches to 16 if I key the mike for any length of time. I think it's a voltage problem, probably have to change some wires. Game on brother we're going to be on your a$$ :eek: in no time! :D

[NoSlack]

Some of the new mikes go to ch 16 if you tough the knob on the back to ground. They call it a "safety feature" that you can ground the mike clip so the radio returns to 16 when you put the mike back in the holder.

Pain in the neck if you ask me, every time I hand the mike on the wheel or over a grab rail it goes back to 16.

As far as fishing goes, bring it on. I squeezed 300 point out of the inshore stuff, now its time to score some tuna, dorado and a marlin and I hope to break 500 this year.